88% of UK Internet Users Have Broadband

The BBC reports that broadband penetration among UK internet users has risen.

"Almost nine out of 10 UK net users are connecting via broadband services, official figures reveal.

Information gathered by National Statistics (ONS) for September show that 88.4% of Britons are choosing to use broadband rather than dial-up.

The statistics show that 49.2% of those connections are for services advertised at two megabits per second or faster.

The figure for September is only slightly up on the June total of 86.2%, but indicates a 26% rise over the last 12 months.

The statistics show that broadband has enjoyed a meteoric rise in popularity among net users since services started to be available and affordable.

As recently as April 2003, ONS reports, 81% of people went online via dial-up modems and only 17% had broadband.

The statistics also offer a breakdown of the speeds that people have signed up to, and show that the proportion of people on higher speeds - between two and eight megabits per second (Mbps) - has grown. Only 4% of those questioned were using services faster than eight Mbps."- BBC.

Around 10m households, or 40% of UK homes do not have internet access.

Guardian Unlimited joins UKPA

Another major media corporation has joined the UK Podcasters Association - Guardian Unlimited. At the same time, they have joined the Radio Academy, strongly signifying their further ambitions in the area.

Head of audio Matt Wells said:

"We are now a significant force in quality speech programming, with hundreds of thousands of downloads a week. For the first time, the BBC has a serious rival in this area. It makes sense to have a seat at the top table at the leading radio industry organisation, and also to be a major player in the only body that represents podcast producers in the UK."

The Guardian's audio department produces Football Weekly, one of the popular football podcasts in the UK; a daily news show, Newsdesk; Media Talk and other specialist weekly shows, and the award-winning Muslim podcast Islamophonic.

Dean Whitbread, Chair of UKPA, said:

"UKPA is pleased that Guardian Unlimited has joined our organisation, the first major publisher to do so.

With a strong tradition of liberality and independence, Guardian Unlimited considerably adds to our presence and gravitas in the online media rights space. We now represent a truly diverse grouping of professional individuals, companies and media corporations, as well as passionate, unpaid enthusiasts, and our strength is our ability to speak up for all those involved in online media.

Our key roles remain to promote and protect the UK community's interests across
the fascinating and dynamic emerging online media landscape."

BBC Launches Music Podcasts

The Guardian reports that the BBC will include 30 second music clips in their music podcasts from 12th November 2007.

From Saturday, November 17, the portfolio expands to offer podcasts including Folk & Acoustic with Mike Harding from Radio 2, Stuart Maconie's Freak Zone from 6 Music and the Asian Network Chart. 1Xtra has podcasts from a range of music genres including hip hop, dancehall and garage.
The BBC has done as much as Apple to establish podcasts within mainstream media in the UK, by promoting audio and video podcasts as part of a two year long "trial" which ended in July. Many podcast producers, including news publishers such The Guardian and the independent radio sector have voiced concerns that the state-sponsored media giant has distorted the podcasting world as it does radio and television.

It is not yet known what clearances are being used for music usage or what regimes will be applied in this still confused area of online rights and revenues. MCPS-PRS who collect royalties on behalf of writers and publishers issue a podcast licence, as do PPL (Phonographic Performance Limited) the UK broadcast royalties collection society representing many music labels; this year PPL introduced the use of 30 second clips for registered broadcasters. The BBC traditionally strikes its own deals with Performing Rights Organisations, often at rates well below those paid by smaller commercial corporations.